BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — Not many people can catch Adam Beasley.
The speedster was chased by Bloomington High School coaches for years to come out for track. This year, he finally said yes.
“It’s way better than I thought. I thought it would be strictly running and me being tired and ready to quit every day,” Beasley said. “It’s way different than I thought.”
Beasley’s main sport is basketball. In the past, he spent his springs playing travel hoops and he still hopes to play college basketball.
But this year he’s not playing AAU basketball and that opened the door for him to join the Raiders track team. He says this season on the track is helping his basketball prospects.
“Immediately when he took to the track he became our best high jumper, best long jumper and he’s fit really well into our relays. Two of our relays are a lot faster because of him,” said Bloomington track coach Rich Baldwin. “He’s been an addition not only because of his physical ability but because of her personality.”
He clearly is athletic at 6-3, 165 pounds. His breakaway speed helped him on the football field this fall and he thins this track experience is bound to help his basketball prospects.
“It’s helped with explosiveness, stamina, team work,” Beasley said. “This is a team sport, people come together. You meet new people. I think it will help me with all aspects of my game.”
But now that’s deep into the season, the track rookie appears good enough to make it to state. He won the Big 12 Conference long jump title last week and was on the winning 4×200 relay.\
“He could be in Charleston (at state) in four events. It’s not a stretch to imagine that,” Baldwin said.
Bloomington competes in the high jump, long jump, 4×100 and 4×200 at the Edwardsville 3A sectional on Thursday when Beasley hopes to qualify for state.
“I want to go to state for high jump, hopefully me and the guys can make it in the 4×100 (relay) because I believe we are fast enough and can compete with the top guys (in Illinois),” said Beasley. “They tell me everyday that if I was here three years ago, that we’d be better than where we were, which I kind of believe.”
